This is the joint website of Women Against Rape and Black Women's Rape Action Project. Both organisations are based on self-help and provide support, legal information and advocacy. We campaign for justice and protection for all women and girls, including asylum seekers, who have suffered sexual, domestic and/or racist violence.

WAR was founded in 1976. It has won changes in the law, such as making rape in marriage a crime, set legal precedents and achieved compensation for many women. BWRAP was founded in 1991. It focuses on getting justice for women of colour, bringing out the particular discrimination they face. It has prevented the deportation of many rape survivors. Both organisations are multiracial.

Delay in reporting is no longer to be used to discredit survivors

Resource

For years, if you delayed reporting – even for a day, it was grounds for suspicion that you may have lied that you were raped. There are many reasons why women do not feel able to go straight to the authorities, such as shock, the effects of alcohol or drugs, fear of retribution, or just confusion about what happened and why. A delay in reporting is no longer to be used against rape survivors:

The Coroners and Justice Bill repeals paragraph 120(7)(d) Criminal Justice Act 2003 in relation to sexual offences and domestic violence offences which stated that the complaint must be made 'as soon as could reasonably be expected after the alleged conduct'.

This means that a victim of sexual offences or domestic violence cannot be required to have reported the alleged conduct as soon as reasonably be expected.